If this doesn’t have you singin’…..”That’s Amore” I don’t know what will!

Disclaimer: Making roulades can be a wee bit tricky if you’ve never done them before but with a little patience, a good sense of humor, and some laughing gas (just kidding on the last one) you will have it down pat in no time. Once you taste it, you will want to roll EVERYTHING up

I’ve learned a couple of tricks over the past few (few meaning A LOT) years that make for perfect chicken roll ups. Keep in mind, this recipe is a launching pad…You can use this same technique to make chicken rolls with spinach and cheese inside, or any other combination you can dream of as long as the ingredients roll nicely.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (see note below for a chicken tip)

pepperoni

shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup flour

salt and pepper

1 cup panko breading

seasonings (because I was going Italian I seasoned the breading with basil, oregano, and thyme)

1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic

2 tablespoons melted butter

3 eggs

olive oil

*Tip* When I know that I am going to make chicken roulades, I tend to buy the cheaper chicken breasts. Often times I find them in large five-pound bags and the breasts tend to be semi-flat to begin with…This makes pounding the chicken a whole lot easier. If you cannot find these, make SURE you get the chicken fairly flat, which can be difficult with a super thick breast.

Directions:

Pound the chicken flat between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. I like to sprinkle a little water on top of the chicken breast, it helps to keep the plastic wrap from sticking.

Place the flattened chicken onto a new piece of plastic wrap, long enough to roll up the chicken.

Layer your fillings, pepperoni and cheese for me, on top of the chicken, leave a little room all the way around your filling and don’t try to cram too much on there…you will not be a happy camper when it comes time to roll. I used 8 slices of pepperoni and a small handful of cheese.

Note~ I didn’t think ahead and buy the thinner breasts….I had dinosaur sized, extra plump, chicken breast. GO FIGURE, they were hard to flatten all the way out, but I made it work…AND got a workout. WHOOP WHOOP

Now, the slightly tricky part! Starting with the end closest to you, begin to roll the chicken up. Start by grabbing the sides and folding them in. Then roll the bottom part of the chicken up over the fillings while keeping the sides squeezed in. It’s harder to explain than to do I SWEAR! If you’ve ever rolled a burrito or chimichanga…or created a homemade envelope…IT’S LIKE THAT

What you end up with is this…..

Now these little gems look and feel like they might fall apart, and you MIGHT wonder how in the WORLD they will ever stayed all rolled up. Here’s the cool part!

Slide your roll, gently, back near the end of the plastic wrap, leaving enough room at the end to lay the wrap up over top of the chicken roll. With your hand on top of the wrap, gently grab the roll and pull back a little to apply a little pressure to the roll. Now begin to roll the chicken in the plastic wrap, applying a little pressure and tightening the chicken roll as you go. Leave the sides of the plastic wrap untucked as you roll.

When the roll is all wrapped up, twist the ends tightly right near the chicken roll and then tuck the ends under the roll. You end up with a very tightly rolled little bundle of beauty that looks like so…..

Place your rolls into a container and place them into the fridge for several hours. I make my rolls in the morning and cook them at night. Chilling them like this helps them to keep their shape and hold up to the breading process later.

Later on in the evening, when it’s time to bake the rolls, grab 3 shallow dishes to set up your breading station.

Place the flour in one dish, beat the 3 eggs into another dish, and place the panko breading in the third dish. Lightly salt and pepper the flour and eggs. To the panko, add the seasonings you prefer and the dried minced garlic and mix it all up. As a general rule of thumb, I find it difficult to give people measurements when seasoning. People have such different tastes when it comes to seasoning. I typically use about a 3/4 teaspoon each of the basil, thyme, and oregano….but again, you know what YOU like.

After your seasonings are mixed in, drizzle the melted butter over top of the panko and stir with a fork to combine.

Grab a 9×13 casserole dish and lightly cover the bottom with oil so the chicken doesn’t stick and has a chance to crisp on the bottom as well.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Take the chicken out of the fridge and unwrap them one at a time as you bread them. First dredge them in the flour and gently tap off the excess. Cover the chicken in egg by gently turning the roll over in the pan with the help of a fork. Don’t forget to dip the ends in the egg. Transfer to the panko and roll it over a couple of times, taking some breading in your hands and pressing onto the chicken as well.

Transfer the breaded rolls into the casserole dish, leaving as much space as possible between your rolls.

You know those pictures where the subject is the same color as the background??? YUCK! But it’s what I ended up with when I grabbed the camera with panko covered hands and had a strobe that decided to run out of batteries THEN! I figure something is better than nothing right?

Anywho, pop the chicken into the oven and bake. The cooking time can vary greatly depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breast. It can range from 30-50 minutes. Look for the breading to get slightly golden on the top, and the juices to run clear if you see any. You can also check for temperature, looking for an internal temp of 170. Last night mine backed for 50 minutes….they were MAMMOTH!

In the end, you have created a juicy, tender, mouth-watering chicken roll that will win you awards….(send me a picture of your creation and I will mail you a homemade award) I know that work that goes into these, you deserve it!

Serve these with a small side of pasta, salad, or rice. Whatever your heart desires!